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Family
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The lives of the middle-class Lawrence family in Pasadena, California.
Castfull cast & details
Episodes by season
Season01
- S01E01
Pilot (a.k.a. The Best Years)March 9, 1976—Buddy hears Kate say something about her, and isn't happy. Also, Nancy walks in on Jeff with another woman. - S01E02
Monday is ForeverMarch 16, 1976—Kate has to wait until Monday to find out whether she has cancer; Buddy and her friend Laura Richardson have until Monday, when the latter's - S01E03
A Special Kind of LovingMarch 23, 1976—Willie meets, and starts spending lots of time with, Salina -- leading to a tiff with Buddy, right when she needs him to help conquer her fe - S01E04
A Right and Proper GoodbyeMarch 30, 1976—Kate's mother comes for one last visit. - S01E05
Thursday's ChildApril 6, 1976—As Timmy Jr.'s christening approaches, the whole family (especially Buddy, who stubbornly refuses to take part) relives the painful memories - S01E06
Point of DepartureApril 13, 1976—Doug resents Willie's attitude towards work, the universe, and everything; a string of burglaries sweeps through the neighborhood.
Season02
- S02E01
Coming ApartOctober 6, 1976—Buddy gets a job at a bakery, and introduces Willie to her boss, ""Big Al""; Nancy gets involved with Peter, while she's finalizing her divo - S02E02
Such Sweet SorrowOctober 19, 1976—Salina drops by, at a time when Willie is having problems with Alex; Doug is offered a great job in New York. - S02E03
Home MovieOctober 26, 1976—Willie drives everyone crazy by following them around and filming them; Buddy has difficulty with a school assignment -- writing a speech on - S02E04
Coming of AgeNovember 9, 1976—Buddy officially reaches puberty; Nancy is caught between Kate's resentment of her thoughtlessness, Peter's proposal of marriage, and a come - S02E05
Jury Duty (1)November 16, 1976—Kate is subjected to widespread abuse for being the lone holdout; Buddy captures first prize, T.J.'s heart, and (for good measure) the real - S02E06
Jury Duty (2)November 23, 1976—Kate is subjected to widespread abuse for being the lone holdout; Buddy captures first prize, T.J.'s heart, and (for good measure) the real - S02E07
The Cradle Will FallNovember 30, 1976—Buddy completes her orthodontal treatment; Salina returns to town once again, only to be plunged into a custody battle with her daughter's f - S02E08
Skeleton in the ClosetDecember 7, 1976—Doug must face his sister Emily's alcoholism. Buddy tries to help a senior citizen she spots shoplifting food from the supermarket. - S02E09
On The First Day Of Christmas (a.k.a. The Christmas Story)December 21, 1976—Doug is suspicious when his father introduces his new, and much younger, girlfriend; Nancy and Jeff have a fight over who gets Timmy over Ch - S02E10
Rites of FriendshipDecember 28, 1976—A friend of Willie's comes out of the closet; Buddy, after getting invited to the ""Junior Jump"" by a popular boy, asks Nancy to teach her - S02E11
An Eye to the FutureJanuary 4, 1977—Buddy (as ""Diamond In the Rough"") gets heavily into the CB scene; Kate decides to go back to college; Doug does a stint as a judge. - S02E12
Lovers and StrangersJanuary 11, 1977—Willie gets cradle-robbed by a visiting movie director, and takes it much too seriously; Doug gets a dog as a birthday present. - S02E13
Return EngagementJanuary 18, 1977—Maggie Calder, the woman who nearly destroyed Doug and Kate's marriage 20 years ago, is back for a second attempt. Buddy feels she's being t - S02E14
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall . . .February 1, 1977—A daughter whom Elaine gave up for adoption years ago finds her, through Kate; Willie is intrigued by a pretty client at the photo studio wh - S02E15
Someone's WatchingFebruary 8, 1977—A series of anonymous gifts eventually makes Nancy feel threatened; Buddy's motor-mouth school-project partner uses the Lawrences as his sur - S02E16
A Safe HouseFebruary 15, 1977—A former friend of Willie's, now an outlaw, gives him a call; Buddy thinks she has a great scoop for the school paper. - S02E17
Best FriendsFebruary 22, 1977—Nancy attends her high-school reunion, meeting the guy she dumped to marry Jeff; T.J. asks Buddy to a formal dance, causing a rift with Audr - S02E18
Taking Chances (1)March 1, 1977—When Doug loses his sight after getting hit by a car, opinions are divided as to whether he should undergo an operation that could either re - S02E19
Taking Chances (2)March 8, 1977—After spending an eternity as a blind man whose youngest daughter despises him, Doug finally musters up the courage to have the operation -- - S02E20
Comings and GoingsMarch 22, 1977—Willie and Salina search for an apartment together. Jeff's mother Sylvia is confined to the Lawrence home following a back injury and a quar - S02E21
. . . More Things in Heaven and EarthMarch 29, 1977—Kate is shaken by what a supposed psychic says about her long-missing aunt; Nancy lands a prestigious legal assignment, and suspects her loo - S02E22
An Endangered SpeciesMay 3, 1977—A recently-divorced friend wants to hang out with Kate; Nancy gets upset when a classmate asks to use her place for an affair with a married
Season03
- S03E01
Acts of Love (1)September 13, 1977—While Nancy and Buddy prepare for their parents' 25th wedding-anniversary party, Willie meets, and falls in love with, a physics student nam - S03E02
Acts of Love (2)September 20, 1977—Lizzy dies, but not before Willie convinces her to marry him first. - S03E03
The First TimeSeptember 27, 1977—Kate unhappily contemplates her 49th birthday; T.J. asks Buddy to go steady with him, but she's not sure. - S03E04
Change of HeartOctober 4, 1977—Nancy is jealous of Jeff's new fiancée. - S03E05
Annie LaurieOctober 25, 1977—Doug gets propositioned by a female lawyer. - S03E06
We Love You, Miss JessupNovember 1, 1977—Buddy's English teacher gets outed; Willie suspects Nancy of being a home-wrecker. - S03E07
The Little BrotherNovember 8, 1977—Willie fails to understand a black thing; Buddy develops an interest in genealogy. - S03E08
Childhood's EndNovember 15, 1977—Buddy's friend Laura returns for a visit, and -- guess what? -- she, too, is now an alkie; a friend of Doug's, a divorced father, is apprehe - S03E09
A Tale Out of SeasonNovember 22, 1977—Doug's colleague and protégé turns out to be a child-beater; Nancy finds a puppy; Buddy finally gets into the Thanksgiving spirit. - S03E10
Labors of LoveNovember 29, 1977—Buddy, upset by a lack of attention from T.J., tries to make him jealous by hanging out with a geek; Willie catches the eye of his cute übe - S03E11
A Child is GivenDecember 13, 1977— - S03E12
More Than FriendsJanuary 3, 1978—Nancy hits it off with Willie's former writing teacher, but things get awkward when he pans Willie's script. - S03E13
Princess in the TowerJanuary 10, 1978—Kate, slightly sick of family life, checks out a model apartment in a brand-new high-rise condo -- and gets trapped overnight, along with a - S03E14
Echoes of LoveJanuary 17, 1978—Willie can't stop reminiscing about Lizzy, so he hooks up with her former roommate; Audrey is depressed because her parents are splitting up - S03E15
See SawJanuary 24, 1978—Kate volunteers to help a moody (and arithmetic-obsessed) young patient at the Braille institute; Willie works on installing Timmy's new bed - S03E16
LifelineJanuary 31, 1978—Nancy plays hot-line operator when her classmate attempts suicide, to get back at her married boyfriend for breaking up her; Buddy baby-sits - S03E17
. . . And Baby Makes ThreeFebruary 7, 1978—Nancy and Jeff aren't sure whether to get back together; Buddy is disgusted that Audrey has fallen for the cheap ploys of the school Casanov - S03E18
Crossing OverFebruary 14, 1978—Willie has an appointment with a big-shot film producer, on the eve of his 21st birthday; then, he and Doug make friends with a stripper. - S03E19
The CovenantFebruary 21, 1978—Medical crises abound in the family when James reveals to Doug that he must soon undergo exploratory surgery, and Nancy begins to miscarry J - S03E20
A Friend of the Family'sFebruary 28, 1978—A somewhat unscrupulous former friend of Willie's drops by; Buddy needs driving lessons; Kate and Doug consider taking separate vacations. - S03E21
Fear of ShadowsMay 2, 1978—Kate has a recurring nightmare about running over a little boy; Buddy gets a pet raccoon. - S03E22
Sleeping GypsyMay 9, 1978—Everyone at school dislikes Buddy's bohemian friend; Kate gives Doug a plaid jacket he doesn't much care for. - S03E23
CounterpointMay 16, 1978—Kate has to go back and repeat a class she flunked the previous semester, and gets picked on by a snobby professor; Doug contemplates early
Season04
- S04E01
Starting OverSeptember 21, 1978—Annie's sole surviving relative dumps her into the Lawrences' lap -- where she doesn't feel quite comfortable, at first. - S04E02
All For LoveSeptember 28, 1978—Zack tells Buddy that unless she sleeps with him, he will have to satisfy his manly needs with another girl; Doug thinks of buying a flashy - S04E03
ChangesOctober 12, 1978—Nancy is all set to re-marry Jeff; Annie, heretofore known as ""Annie Cooper,"" decides to add ""Lawrence"" to her name; Buddy, ever the tra - S04E04
MagicOctober 19, 1978—Kate, in the hospital for a physical, meets a burned-out former rock star; Annie needs Doug's help to impress her classmates with magic tric - S04E05
Just FriendsNovember 9, 1978—Willie considers an affair with a married woman he met in a writing class; Nancy, sick of living in a ""fishbowl,"" decides to move out of t - S04E06
GenerationsNovember 23, 1978—The family decides to spend Thanksgiving at Hattie's farm where Kate faces ghosts from the past. Buddy is intrigued by a local boy. - S04E07
ExpectationsDecember 7, 1978—Nancy's new boss pressures her to sleep with him; Buddy tries out for the cheerleading squad. - S04E08
GiftsDecember 21, 1978—Annie, who still misses her parents, can't relate to the Lawrences' holiday cheer, and decides to run away until Christmas is over; Willie r - S04E09
The Friend's AffairJanuary 4, 1979—A colleague and friend of Doug's is cheating on his wife; Annie suspects a next-door neighbor of having murdered his. - S04E10
Exits and EntrancesJanuary 11, 1979—After Buddy stars in a high-school play (Shaw's Saint Joan), her interest in acting is strongly encouraged by a friend of Kate's, a professi - S04E11
Moment of TruthJanuary 18, 1979—A man he once helped put in jail threatens Doug; Buddy and Audrey have a fight about who copied from whom on an algebra test. - S04E12
Malicious MischiefJanuary 25, 1979—Nancy considers a marriage proposal from Timmy's daycare provider -- until he gets accused of child abuse; Willie falls in love with a cat. - S04E13
Sleeping OverFebruary 1, 1979—Buddy's invitation to a sorority becomes a sore point in her friendship with Audrey when Audrey isn't invited to join. Willie sleeps with Ka - S04E14
Disco QueenFebruary 8, 1979—Buddy sneaks into a disco club, with the help of an older acquaintance, and finds it more than she bargained for; Annie has a date with a jo - S04E15
The AthleteMarch 1, 1979—Buddy, volunteering at a hospital, encounters a star high-school basketball player who is there for a broken leg -- or so he thinks; Annie r - S04E16
The CompetitionMarch 8, 1979—Buddy learns the price of competition when an overachieving classmate commits suicide after losing a history competition to her. Annie's coo - S04E17
BallerinaMarch 15, 1979—Willie has a fling with a ballet dancer; Doug purchases a workout set by mail order. - S04E18
DiversionsMarch 22, 1979—While studying for the bar exam, Nancy's attention is diverted by a charming and seemingly accident-prone neighbor. - S04E19
An Apple For the TeacherMarch 30, 1979—Kate's teaching career gets off to a rough start, when a student decides to continuously annoy her; Annie borrows Buddy's ""lucky"" ring to - S04E20
PreludeApril 20, 1979—Buddy has a crush on her swimming instructor, much to Zack's displeasure; Kate is tempted to call an old boyfriend. - S04E21
Going StraightMay 10, 1979—Willie hires Bambi Deering, the stripper he met on his 21st birthday. Doug attempts to save hefty plumber's fees by repairing the household - S04E22
From Russia With LoveMay 17, 1979—Kate acts as escort to, and highly impresses, a visiting Ukrainian composer; Buddy and Annie play Monopoly to determine who gets Willie's ol
Season05
- S05E01
ThanksgivingNovember 20, 1979—Doug's father starts showing his age. - S05E02
'Tis the SeasonDecember 24, 1979—A pre-Christmas argument with Willie nearly gives Doug a heart attack; Buddy invites her school's janitor to her house, where he quickly end - S05E03
Jack of HeartsJanuary 14, 1980—Buddy and Nancy find themselves in a love triangle; Annie dabbles in the occult. - S05E04
When the Bough BreaksJanuary 21, 1980—Kate finds out she's pregnant; a friend of Buddy's, on vacation from her all-girls school, picks Willie as a seduction target. - S05E05
Hard TimesJanuary 28, 1980—Two friends of Buddy's who have been going steady for 3 years are having relationship problems -- and when she tries to help, the results ar - S05E06
WhispersFebruary 4, 1980—Buddy's friendship with a teacher gives rise to rumors; Annie uses questionable tactics to get Willie to let her interview him for her schoo - S05E07
Play on LoveMarch 3, 1980—Willie finds the director of his play more interesting than Rachel; Buddy insists on buying an old sports car, over Doug's objections. - S05E08
Daylight SerenadeMarch 10, 1980—Buddy has an ambiguous relationship with a nerdy schoolmate whom Kate is training for a piano recital; Nancy begs Annie to teach her how to - S05E09
Such a Fine LineMarch 17, 1980—A schoolboy has a crush on Kate; Jeff, now an in-over-his-head rock manager, blows into town with his band. - S05E10
The Ties That BindJune 4, 1980—Elaine resurfaces in Kate's life after being dumped by Fred for a younger woman. Meanwhile, Annie experiences abandonment issues, too. - S05E11
Just Like Old TimesJune 11, 1980—Buddy tries to make everyone think she didn't get into any of the schools she applied to; Doug wants Annie to share his obsession with baseb - S05E12
SmartsJune 18, 1980—Annie gets picked on by her classmates, for being too smart; Buddy, studying for her SATs, worries that she's not smart enough. - S05E13
Letting GoJune 25, 1980—Doug is upset when Buddy starts dating a 21-year-old; Annie is jealous of an old friend who has matured much faster than she has.
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